What is the method of the late-night voluntary prayer (tahajjud) and the number of its units?
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The listener Ghanim Ali Faisal sent a message asking and saying: I heard in your program about the late-night voluntary prayer (tahajjud) and that its best time is the last third of the night. I want to know more about the late-night voluntary prayer, may Allah reward you with good, and about the number of its units?
Answer:
The best time is the end of the night, if that is feasible; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 755a, narrated by Muslim in the authentic collection. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith: Sunan Abi Dawud 4733Sahih (Al-Albani). So this divine descent is a great opportunity for supplication and worship for the believer who calls upon his Lord; because He, the Exalted, says: Sahih al-Bukhari 1145. So if it is feasible for the believing man and woman to perform the late-night voluntary prayer at the end of the night, in the last third, that is better, so that it coincides with this divine descent and this generosity from the Lord and His bestowing of favor, Blessed and Exalted is He.
And if one performs the witr prayer at the beginning of the night, that is sufficient. This descent is befitting for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and it does not resemble His creation. It is one of the hadiths regarding the attributes, so it is a descent befitting for Allah, and no one knows its modality except He, just as the rising above the Throne is befitting for Allah, and no one knows its modality except He (Glorified and Exalted is He), as He the Exalted said: [20:5] in other verses. Its meaning is that He rose and became high, and it is a rising above the Throne befitting Him (Glorified and Exalted is He) that does not resemble His creation in their rising above the Throne. Likewise, His descent to the lowest heaven is a descent befitting for Allah, and no one knows its modality except He , and it does not resemble His creation in any of His attributes, neither in the descent nor in the rising above the Throne, nor in the hearing, nor in the seeing, nor in the speech, nor in anything else. He the Exalted said: [42:11].
And the late-night voluntary prayer is best when it is eleven or thirteen units; this is the best. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) usually performed the witr with eleven or thirteen, and sometimes he performed the witr with seven, five, or three. The minimum is one unit after the night prayer ('Isha') and after the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib). And if he performed the witr with three, that suffices, or with five, that suffices, or with seven, that suffices. But the best is eleven or thirteen, saying the closing salam (taslim) from every two units, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do. He used to say the closing salam from every two units and perform the witr with one single unit. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Abi Dawud 1326Sahih (Al-Albani), meaning: he performs the witr with one unit at the end.
And if he prays more, he prays twenty and performs the witr with one or three, or he prays forty and performs the witr with one or three, or he prays more, there is nothing wrong with it. It is all broad, with the praise of Allah; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not specify a known number of units. He stated generally, saying:Sunan Ibn Majah 1319Sahih (Darussalam), and did not specify, so this indicates broadness, and praise be to Allah. But the best of that is eleven or thirteen, following him (peace and blessings be upon him) and emulating him (peace and blessings be upon him), in Ramadan and in other times. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The best time is the end of the night, if that is feasible; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
If anyone is afraid that he may not get up in the latter part of the night, he should observe Witr in the first part of it; and if anyone is eager to get up in the last part of it, he should observe Witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is preferable.
من خاف أن لا يقوم من آخر الليل فليوتر أوله، ومن طمع أن يقوم آخر الليل فليوتر آخر الليل فإن صلاة آخر الليل مشهودة وذلك أفضلOur lord gets down every night to the heaven of this world when a third night remains and says: (Is there anyone) who prays to Me so that I may accept his prayer? (Is there anyone) who asks of Me so that I may give him? (Is there anyone) who asks for my forgiveness so that I may forgive him?
ينزل ربنا إلى سماء الدنيا كل ليلة حين يبقى ثلث الليل الآخر فيقول: من يدعوني فأستجيب له، من يسألني فأعطيه، من يستغفرني فأغفر لهIs there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?
من يدعوني فأستجيب له، من يسألني فأعطيه، من يستغفرني فأغفر لهAnd if one performs the witr prayer at the beginning of the night, that is sufficient. This descent is befitting for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and it does not resemble His creation. It is one of the hadiths regarding the attributes, so it is a descent befitting for Allah, and no one knows its modality except He, just as the rising above the Throne is befitting for Allah, and no one knows its modality except He (Glorified and Exalted is He), as He the Exalted said:
The Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established.
الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَىThere is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُAnd the late-night voluntary prayer is best when it is eleven or thirteen units; this is the best. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) usually performed the witr with eleven or thirteen, and sometimes he performed the witr with seven, five, or three. The minimum is one unit after the night prayer ('Isha') and after the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib). And if he performed the witr with three, that suffices, or with five, that suffices, or with seven, that suffices. But the best is eleven or thirteen, saying the closing salam (taslim) from every two units, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do. He used to say the closing salam from every two units and perform the witr with one single unit. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Prayer during the night should consist of pairs of rak'ahs, but if one of you fears the morning is near he should pray one rak'ah which will make his prayer an odd number for him.
صلاة الليل مثنى مثنى -يعني: ثنتين ثنتين- فإذا خشي أحدكم الصبح صلى ركعة واحدة توتر له ما قد صلىAnd if he prays more, he prays twenty and performs the witr with one or three, or he prays forty and performs the witr with one or three, or he prays more, there is nothing wrong with it. It is all broad, with the praise of Allah; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not specify a known number of units. He stated generally, saying:
The night prayer is (to be offered) two by two.
صلاة الليل مثنى مثنىThe presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.